Wearable device with heat transfer pathway

ABSTRACT

A wearable device is disclosed according to one embodiment. The wearable device can include an eyewear body, onboard electronic components, a thermal coupling and a heat transfer device. The eyewear body can be configured for wearing by a user to hold one or more optical elements mounted on the eyewear body within a field of view of the user. The onboard electronic components can be carried by the eyewear body at a first portion of the eyewear body and can comprise a heat source that generates heat during electrically powered operation thereof. The thermal coupling can be thermally coupled to the heat transfer device at a second portion of the eyewear body. The elongate heat transfer device can be disposed within the eyewear body and can be thermally coupled to the heat source and the thermal coupling. The heat transfer device can extend lengthwise between the heat source and the thermal coupling to transfer heat from the heat source to the thermal coupling.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This application is a continuation of and claims the benefit of priorityto U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/360,508, filed Jun. 28, 2021,which is a continuation of and claims the benefit of priority to U.S.patent application Ser. No. 16/396,030, filed Apr. 26, 2019, which is acontinuation and claims the benefit of priority to U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/648,037, filed Jul. 12, 2017, which is acontinuation and claims the benefit of priority to U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/084,683, filed Mar. 30, 2016, which claims thebenefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/301,061,filed Feb. 29, 2016, each of which are hereby incorporated by referencein their entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The subject matter disclosed herein generally relates to heat managementin wearable electronic devices such as smart glasses.

BACKGROUND

Many devices, including wearable devices, utilize electronics to performvarious functions. Heat management for such electronics, to keep theelectronics within a heat range corresponding to acceptable performance,can be problematic owing for example to space and weight constraints ofa wearable device of which the electronics form part, as well as by thefact that some such devices can be worn in contact with the user's body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure is illustrated by way of example, and not by wayof limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of eyewear comprising a wearable electronicdevice including temples, a frame, onboard electronic components and atleast one heat transfer device according to one embodiment.

FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the eyewear from FIG. 1 illustrating theheat transfer device housed in the frame and extending from one side ofthe frame to a second side of the frame according to one embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a portion of the frame housing the electroniccomponents and further illustrating the heat transfer device from theelectronic components through the frame according to one embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the heat transfer pathway comprising aheat pipe according to one embodiment.

OVERVIEW

A brief overview of some aspects of the disclosure with reference toselected drawings follows, after which various features of the disclosedsubject matter will be described in greater detail.

One aspect of this disclosure relates to a wearable device such as aneyewear article with onboard electronic components such as a camera, aprocessor, WiFi, Bluetooth®, and various modules as is shown in FIGS. 1to 4 . As such, the eyewear article comprises smart glasses. The onboardelectronic components can be carried by a body of the smart glasses,such as in the frame as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 2 , or in thetemple(s). The onboard electronic components can generate relativelylarge amounts of heat during electrically powered operation, givenvolume constraints for the smart glasses. For smart glasses, it isgenerally desirable for the onboard electronics components to be carried(e.g., housed) in a manner that does not make the smart glassesunsightly or ungainly for the user. Although these criteria may besatisfied by making the onboard electronic components and/or the housingfor those components smaller, such reduction in size/volume andcorresponding reduction in surface area can pose heat managementproblems. Inadequate heat transfer away from the electronics caneventually lead to failure or mal-performance of the onboard electronicscomponents and/or can lead to undesirable external surface heating ofthe smart glasses. Such external surface heating can have undesiredeffects, e.g., by causing discomfort to the user or by creating aperception on the part of the user that the onboard electronicscomponents are being overworked.

One aspect of the disclosure comprises utilizing a heat transfer deviceto transfer heat generated by the onboard electronic components awaytherefrom (and away from the face of the user), so as to reduce thelikelihood of localized heating adjacent the onboard electroniccomponents and heating adjacent the user's face. In some embodiments,the heat transfer device can extend laterally across a frame of thesmart glasses, extending from one side of the frame to the other side ofthe frame. Thus, heat generated by the onboard electronics componentscarried in a first side portion of the frame can be transferred to asecond side portion of the frame, where the heat can be dissipated asshown in FIGS. 1 and 2 . According to various embodiments, the heattransfer device can be a heat pipe (e.g., FIG. 4 ), a heat sink (FIG. 3) and/or a core wire (FIGS. 1-3 ).

In some embodiments, the smart glasses that can provide for a thermalcoupling between different components of the smart glasses (e.g.,between a temple and the frame). More particularly, the thermal couplingcan extend across an articulated joint (e.g., a hinge assembly) betweenthe temple and the frame to provide part of a heat conduction path fromonboard electronic components in the frame to the core wire of thetemple, as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 3 .

Further, the inventor proposes a cap hinge that can be part of thehousing of the frame as well as being part of the hinge assembly (e.g.,FIGS. 2-4 ). As shown in FIG. 3 , the cap hinge can be abutted along oneor more internal surfaces disposed within the frame in a conductive heatexchange relationship by one or more heat sinks internal to the frame.These internal heat sinks can carry the onboard electronics componentsthereon.

Thus, according to examples herein, multiple heat transfer pathways canbe formed to transfer the heat generated during operation of the onboardelectronics components (heat sources) to various components and/orportions of the smart glasses where it can be dissipated.

In some examples, the onboard electronic components may be carried bythe frame alone. In other embodiments, the electronic components may becarried by on or more of the temples. In yet further embodiments, theelectronic components may be carried by both the frame and at least oneof the temples. Similarly, the heat transfer device can be part of thetemple(s) (FIG. 3 ) and/or part of the frame (e.g., FIGS. 1 and 2 ). Insome embodiments, the onboard electronic components can be disposed onboth the left and right lateral portions of the frame, and each templecan contain a respective heat transfer device that can be thermallycoupled to corresponding onboard electronic components. In yet furtherembodiments, the electronic components or a majority of the electroniccomponents that produce a majority of the heat can be disposed on onlythe first side portion of the frame (e.g., the left side end portion)and the heat transfer device can extend across the frame from the firstside portion to the second side portion (e.g., the right side endportion). At least a portion of the heat generated by the onboardelectronics components carried in the first side portion can betransferred to second side portion where the heat can be dissipated. Insome embodiments, at the second side portion, the heat transfer devicecan thermally couple with a thermal coupling (e.g., a second target heatreceiving component such as a core wire, a heat pipe, heat sink, anelectronics carrier, or the like) that can further facilitate transferof the heat to other components of the smart glasses such as a secondtemple.

In some embodiments, the smart glasses can be operable (i.e. areelectrically powered) even in a collapsed condition where one or more ofthe temples are folded towards the frame to a non-wearable position forthe user. In such a collapsed condition, as well as in a wearablecondition where one or both of the temples are extended so as to bereceived around a user's face, the onboard electronic components can runsoftware and perform other tasks that can improve the glasses'efficiency and performance. The thermal coupling between the temple andthe frame and the one or more heat transfer devices can be configured totransfer heat away from the electronic components both when thetemple(s) is in the wearable condition and when the temple is in thecollapsed condition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The description that follows includes apparatuses, systems, andtechniques that embody illustrative embodiments of the disclosure. Inthe following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details are set forth in order to provide an understanding ofvarious embodiments of the inventive subject matter. It will be evident,however, to those skilled in the art, that embodiments of the inventivesubject matter may be practiced without these specific details. Ingeneral, well-known structures and techniques are not necessarily shownin detail. Certain embodiments described in detail herein may bereferred to as examples.

Embodiments described herein relate to apparatuses and techniques thatallow smart glasses to that can transfer heat away from onboardelectronic components (and the face of the user) in a more desirablemanner. This can make the smart glasses as more reliable and wearable.

This disclosure applies to smart glasses (e.g., those that haveelectronics carried thereby). Smart glasses include onboard electroniccomponents such as a power source, power and communication relatedcircuitry, communication devices (e.g., a camera, a microphone, sensors,etc.), display devices, a computer, a memory, modules, and/or the like.

Regarding the construction of the smart glasses itself, according to oneexample, the smart glasses comprise an eyewear body configured forwearing by a user to hold one or more optical elements mounted on theeyewear body within a field of view of the user. Such optical elementscan include not just lenses (as is the case in the embodiments describedbelow), but can in other embodiments include any object that can be heldclose to the eye and through which or from which light is passed to theeye. As such, the term optical elements includes displays (such asvirtual reality displays, augmented reality displays, or other near-eyedisplays), surfaces such as those of a smartphone or tablet, and lenses,both corrective and non-corrective, for example.

The smart glasses can include the frame and a pair of the templescoupled thereto on opposite ends of the frame at articulated joints. Forany one of the temples, the temple is in the wearable configuration orcondition when the temple is substantially fully unfolded for receptionalong a side of the user's head. In contrast, a temple is in thecollapsed configuration or condition when that temple is hingedly foldedtowards the frame. Thus, the smart glasses can be in both the wearableconfiguration and the collapsed configuration at the same time (e.g.,one temple unfolded the other temple folded towards the frame) and theonboard electronics components can be electrically powered so as to beoperable in either condition, as previously discussed.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a front of a pair of smart glasses12. The smart glasses 12 can comprise an eyewear body 13. The eyewearbody 13 can include one or more temples 14A and 14B and a frame 16. Thesmart glasses 12 can additionally include articulated joints 18A and18B, onboard electronic components 20A and 20B, and heat transferdevices 21A, 21B, 21C. In the example of FIG. 1 , the heat transferdevices 21A, 21B can comprise core wires 22A, 22B and the heat transferdevice 21C can comprise a heat pipe 24.

The onboard electronic components 20A and 20B can be carried by theeyewear body 13 (e.g., either or both of the temple(s) 14A, 14B and/orthe frame 16). The onboard electronic components 20A and 20B cancomprise the heat source that generates heat during electrically poweredoperation. As previously discussed, the onboard electronic components20A and 20B can comprise a power source, power and communication relatedcircuitry, communication devices (e.g., a camera, a microphone, sensors,etc.), display devices, a computer, a memory, modules, and/or the like.

As will be discussed in further detail herein, the eyewear body 13 canbe configured for wearing by a user to hold one or more optical elementsmounted on the eyewear body 13 within a field of view of a user. Moreparticularly, the frame 16 can be configured to hold the one or moreoptical elements, while the temples 14A and 14B can be connected to theframe 16 at the respective articulated joints 18A and 18B. The onboardelectronic components 20A and/or 20B can be carried by the eyewear body13 and can comprise a heat source that generates heat duringelectrically powered operation thereof. The heat transfer device 21A,21B, and/or 21C can be disposed within the eyewear body 13 and can bethermally coupled to the heat source at a first portion of the eyewearbody 13 (e.g., a right side portion 26A). The heat transfer device 21A,21B, and/or 21C can extend to a second portion of the eyewear body 13(e.g., a second end portion 26B) and can be configured to move at leasta portion of the heat from the heat source (the onboard electroniccomponents 20A and/or 20B) to the second portion of the eyewear body 13.In the embodiment of FIG. 1 , the heat transfer devices 21A and 21B cancomprise core wires 22A and 22B configured to form part of a structuralframework for at least part of the eyewear body 13 (e.g., a structuralframework of the temples 14A and 14B).

The temple 14A is illustrated in the wearable condition while the temple14B is illustrated in the collapsed condition in FIG. 1 . As shown inFIG. 1 , the temple 14A can be connected to a right side portion 26A(i.e. the right side end portion) of the frame 16 by the articulatedjoint 18A. Similarly, the temple 14B can be connected to a second endportion 26B (i.e. the left side end portion) of the frame 16 by thearticulated joint 18B. According to the example of FIG. 1 , the rightside portion 26A of the frame 16 can carry the onboard electroniccomponents 20A by housing the onboard electronic components 20A therein,and the second end portion 26B can carry the onboard electroniccomponents 20B by housing the onboard electronic components 20B therein.

According to the embodiment of FIG. 1 , one or both of the core wires22A and 22B can be used as the heat transfer devices 21A and 21B as willbe discussed in further detail subsequently. The temples 14A and 14B cancomprise elongate members having core wires 22A and 22B extendingtherein. The core wire 22A can comprise a portion of the temple 14A(e.g., can be embedded within a plastics material or other material thatcomprises an outer cap of the temple 14A) and can extend from adjacentthe articulated joint 18A toward a second lateral portion of the temple14A. Similarly, the core wire 22B can comprise a portion of the temple14B (e.g., can be embedded within a plastics material or other materialthat comprises an outer cap of the temple 14B) and can extend fromadjacent the articulated joint 18B toward a second lateral portion ofthe temple 14B.

The heat transfer device 21C can be thermally coupled to the onboardelectronic components 20A and/or 20B. More particularly, the heattransfer device 21C can be located within the frame 16 and can extendlaterally along the frame 16 from the right side portion 26A (adjacent afirst of the one or more optical elements) to the second end portion 26B(adjacent a second of the one or more optical elements). The heattransfer device 21C can be the heat pipe 24 as further described hereinin reference to FIG. 4 . Thus, the heat pipe 24 can extend from theright side portion 26A (terminating at or immediately adjacent theonboard electronic components 20A) to the second end portion 26B(terminating adjacent the onboard electronic components 20B). In otherembodiments, the heat transfer device 21C can comprise another componentthat can form a heat transfer pathway known in the art such as a heatsink, a core wire, or the like.

The heat transfer device 21C can transfer at least a portion of the heatproduced by a heat source (the onboard electronic components 20A) fromthe right side portion 26A to the second end portion 26B where the heatcan be dissipated. As will be illustrated in FIG. 2 , in some cases theleft side portion 26B can be configured to house a thermal coupling(e.g., a heat conductive component or second heat pipe, or the like).The heat transfer device 21C can be thermally coupled to the thermalcoupling at the left side portion 26B.

The temples 14A, 14B and the frame 16 can be constructed of a plasticsmaterial, cellulosic plastic (e.g., cellulosic acetate), an eco-plasticmaterial, a thermoplastic material, or the like in addition to the heattransfer devices 21A, 21B, and/or 21C. As discussed previously, the corewires 22A, 22B can act to provide structural integrity to the eyewearbody 13 (i.e. the temple(s) 14A, 14B and/or the frame 16). Additionally,the core wires 22A, 22B can act as the heat transfer device 21A, 21B(e.g., a heat sink) to transfer the heat generated by the onboardelectronic components 20A and/or 20B away therefrom so as to reduce thelikelihood of localized heating adjacent the onboard electroniccomponents 20A and/or 20B. As such, the core wires 22A, 22B (and/or theheat pipe 24) can be thermally coupled to the heat source to provide aheat transfer pathway for the heat source. The core wires 22A, 22B canbe constructed of a relatively flexible conductive metal or metal alloymaterial such as one or more of an aluminum, an alloy of aluminum,alloys of nickel-silver, and a stainless steel, for example.

The temple 14A and core wire 22A can extend generally rearward from arear facing surface of the right side portion 26A of the frame 16.According to the illustrated example of FIGS. 1-3 , the articulatedjoint 18A can comprise a hinge assembly 28 (FIGS. 2 and 3 ) thatincludes hinge projections configured to mate with one another asillustrated and discussed subsequently in reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 .According to other embodiments, the articulated joint 18A can comprise alinkage assembly, a ball joint assembly, a male/female assembly, oranother type of mechanical connection that allows for movement of thetemple 14A relative to the frame 16.

As will be illustrated subsequently, the articulated joint 18A can alsobe formed as part of the frame 16 and the temple 14A. Indeed, thearticulated joint 18A can be configured to provide for movement of thetemple 14A relative to the frame 16. Thus, the articulated joint 18Aallows for movement of the temple 14A such that it is disposable betweenthe collapsed condition and the wearable configuration as illustrated inFIG. 1 .

FIG. 2 shows a top view of the smart glasses 12. FIG. 2 illustrates manyof the components and features discussed in reference to FIG. 1 . Forexample, the smart glasses 12 of FIG. 2 can include the temples 14A and14B, the frame 16, the articulated joints 18A and 18B, the onboardelectronic components 20A and 20B, the heat transfer devices 21A and21B, the heat transfer device 21C (heat pipe 24), and the first andsecond end portions 26A and 26B discussed previously with reference toFIG. 1 . FIG. 2 further illustrates the articulated joints 18A and 18Bcan comprise the hinge assembly 28. The embodiment of FIG. 2 furtherillustrates a thermal coupling 29 disposed within the second end portion26B of the frame 16. Portions of the thermal coupling 29 can extend toand across the articulated joint 18B to the temple 14B as will bediscussed subsequently.

As previously discussed with reference to FIG. 1 , the heat transferdevice 21C (e.g., the heat pipe 24) can be thermally coupled to theonboard electronic components 20A and/or 20B. More particularly, theheat transfer device 21C (e.g., heat pipe 24) can be located within theframe 16 and can extend laterally along the frame 16 from the right sideportion 26A (terminating at or immediately adjacent the onboardelectronic components 20A) to the second end portion 26B (terminatingadjacent the onboard electronic components 20B).

The heat transfer device 21C can transfer at least a portion of the heatproduced by a heat source (the onboard electronic components 20A) fromthe right side portion 26A to the second end portion 26B where the heatcan be dissipated (the path of the heat transfer is shown by arrows inFIG. 2 ). As shown in FIG. 2 , the left side portion 26B can beconfigured to house the thermal coupling 29 in addition to or inalternative to onboard electronic components 20B. The heat transferdevice 21C can be thermally coupled to the thermal coupling 29 at theleft side portion 26B. The thermal coupling 29 can be further configuredto transfer some of the heat from onboard electronic components 20Aand/or 20B to the heat transfer device 21B in some embodiments. Indeed,the heat from the onboard electronic components 20A and 20B can befurther transferred to the heat transfer devices 21A and/or 21B in themanner discussed subsequently in reference to FIG. 3 .

FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the right side portion 26A of the frame 16,the articulated joint 18A, the onboard electronic components 20A, thetemple 14A and the core wire 22A. FIG. 3 also illustrates components ofthe hinge assembly 28 including a cap hinge 30 and a temple hinge 32.While shown in reference to the right side portion 26A, it should beunderstood that a similar configuration can be used for the second endportion 26A (FIGS. 1 and 2 ) to create a heat transfer pathway as willbe discussed subsequently.

FIG. 3 shows portions of the frame 16 with portions of the housing 33removed. As shown in the example of FIG. 3 , the onboard electroniccomponents are located within the frame 16. Thus, the heat source islocated within the frame 16. The heat transfer devices 21A and 21C(e.g., the heat pipe 24 and the core wire 22A) can be thermally coupledto the onboard electronic components Such coupling can be via by one ormore heat sinks 50, 52 internal to the frame 16. The heat sinks 50, 52can abut the heat transfer devices 21A and 21C either directly orindirectly (e.g., via thermal interface material (TIMs), the cap hinge30 and the temple hinge 32).

In particular, the onboard electronic components 20A can be housedwithin a cavity in the right side portion 26A of the frame 16. Accordingto one example, this cavity can encompass a small volume (e.g., thecavity can be is −17 mm long). Thus, in order to dissipate the heat moreevenly and effectively, the heat transfer devices 21A and 21C (e.g., theheat pipe 24 and the core wire 22A) can be used to transfer heat awayfrom the onboard electronic components 20A and a housing 33 that formsand encases the cavity and the onboard electronic components Accordingto some embodiments, the heat pipe 24 can be configured to be attacheddirectly to one, some, or all of the onboard electronics components 20Ain the right side portion 26A to receive heat therefrom. The heat pipe24 can be routed through the top part of the frame 16 to the second endportion 26B (FIGS. 1 and 2 ) where the heat can be released to either aheat sink, a core wire (which can act as a heat sink) or to a secondheat pipe, for example.

According to the embodiment if FIG. 3 , together the components of thehinge assembly 28 can form a thermal coupling 34. The thermal coupling34 can comprise at least a second heat sink (after the core wire 22A)for the heat source. The thermal coupling 34 can extend between the heatsource and the core wire 22A across the articulated joint 16A betweenthe temple 14A and the frame 16. As the thermal coupling 34 can becomprised of components of the hinge assembly 28, the thermal coupling34 can be configured to conduct heat across the articulated joint 18Aboth when the temple 14A is in the wearable condition and when thetemple is in the collapsed condition.

The cap hinge 30 can form a portion of the thermal coupling 34 and canadditionally form a portion of the frame 16 and the hinge assembly 28.More particularly, the cap hinge 30 can have a first portion 36integrally formed with the housing 33 of the frame 16 and has a secondportion 40 comprising a projection extending from the frame 16 and thefirst portion 36. The cap hinge 30 can be abutted along one or moreinternal surfaces 54 disposed within the frame 16 in a conductive heatexchange relationship by the one or more heat sinks 50, 52 internal tothe frame 16. Similarly, the heat transfer device 21C (e.g., the heatpipe 24) can be abutted by second ends of the one or more heat sinks 50,52 to form a heat exchange relationship therewith.

The temple hinge 32 can form a portion of the thermal coupling 34 andcan additionally form a portion of the temple 14A and the hinge assembly28. The temple hinge 32 can comprise another heat sink (in addition toat least the core wire 22A and the cap hinge 30). The temple hinge 32can be coupled to the core wire 22A in a conductive heat exchangerelationship. More particularly, according to one example the core wire22A can be soldered or otherwise connected to the temple hinge 32 in asolid heat conductive manner. The temple hinge 30 can be connected tothe cap hinge 32 via a metal screw or fastener (not shown).

FIG. 3 illustrates a conductive heat transfer pathway (illustrated byarrows) where heat generated by electrical powered operation of theonboard electronic components 20A is transferred away therefrom (andaway from the face of the user) via one or more heat sinks 50, 52internal to the frame 16. The heat can be conducted along one pathway tothe cap hinge 30, through the screw and the temple hinge 32 to the corewire 22A within the temple 14A. Thus, the thermal coupling 34 can beconfigured such that the heat from the onboard electronic components 20Acan be conducted to the cap hinge 30, through the screw and temple hinge32 to the core wire 22A within the temple 14A. Heat can also transferredalong a second pathway to the heat transfer device 21C and along theheat transfer device 21C to a second side of the smart glasses asdiscussed previously in reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 .

The cap hinge 30 can be abutted along one or more internal surfaces 54disposed within the frame 16 in a conductive heat exchange relationshipby the first internal heat sink 50 and the second internal heat sink 52.The first internal heat sink 50 and the second internal heat sink 52 canbe entirely internal to the frame 16 (i.e. can be disposed within thehousing 33 of FIG. 3 ). Similarly, the onboard electronic components 20Acan disposed entirely within the frame 16 (i.e. can be disposed withinthe housing 33 of FIG. 3 ) and can carried by the first internal heatsink 50 and the second internal heat sink 52.

The first internal heat sink 50 can be spaced from the second internalheat sink 52. According to the example of FIG. 4 , the first internalheat sink 50 can extend generally parallel with the second internal heatsink 52. The first internal heat sink 50 can be configured to hold andto wrap around various boards and/or modules that comprise some of theonboard electronic components 20A. Similarly, the second internal heatsink 52 can be configured to hold and sandwich various boards and/ormodules that comprise some of the onboard electronic components 20A.

According to one example, the one or more internal surfaces 54 of thecap hinge 30 and/or other surface of the heat sinks 50, 52 can have TIMsdisposed thereon. The TIM can help to provide good thermal contactbetween the cap hinge 30 and the first internal heat sink 50 and thesecond internal heat sink 52, for example. The first internal heat sink50 and the second internal heat sink 52 can additionally utilize TIMs toprovide for good thermal contact between the first internal heat sink 50and the second internal heat sink 52 and the onboard electroniccomponents 20A (e.g., the processor, the WiFi module, the memory, andthe image sensor 56) and the heat transfer device 21C. All of thesecontacts via TIMs allow for heat to be moved rearward or forward throughthe first internal heat sink 50 and the second internal heat sink 52 toeither the cap hinge 30 and on to the core wire 22A or on to the heatpipe 24.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of a heat transfer device 100 such as aheat pipe 102. The heat pipe 102 can be thermally coupled to a heatsource 104 at a first portion 108A thereof and can be thermally coupledto a heat sink 106 at a second portion 108B thereof. As shown in FIG. 4, the heat pipe 102 can have a hollow central cavity surrounded by anexterior housing. The hollow cavity can contain a working fluid (e.g.,deionized water). The working fluid can be evaporated to a vapor at thefirst portion 108A adjacent the heat source 104. The vapor can travelthe length of the heat pipe 102 as illustrated to the second portion108B. At the second portion 108B adjacent the heat sink 106 the vaporcan condense back to fluid and the heat is released to the heat sink106. The fluid can be absorbed back into a wick 110 that extendssubstantially the length of the heat pipe 102. The working fluid cantravel the length of the wick 110 back from the second portion 108B tothe first portion 108A to repeat the cycle described above.

Thus, according to the embodiment of FIG. 4 , the heat pipe 102 has awick 110 that extends along at least a portion of a lateral lengththereof. The heat pipe 102 can be configured to carry a working fluidthat is evaporated to a vapor at a first lateral end portion 108Athereof by the heat from the heat source 104. The heat pipe 102 candirect the vapor to a second lateral end portion 108B thereof where thevapor condenses back to the working fluid and is absorbed by the wick110.

A wearable device is disclosed according to one embodiment. The wearabledevice can include an eyewear body, onboard electronic components, athermal coupling and a heat transfer device. The eyewear body can beconfigured for wearing by a user to hold one or more optical elementsmounted on the eyewear body within a field of view of the user. Theonboard electronic components can be carried by the eyewear body at afirst portion of the eyewear body and can comprise a heat source thatgenerates heat during electrically powered operation thereof. Thethermal coupling can be thermally coupled to the heat transfer device ata second portion of the eyewear body. The elongate heat transfer devicecan be disposed within the eyewear body and can be thermally coupled tothe heat source and the thermal coupling. The heat transfer device canextend lengthwise between the heat source and the thermal coupling totransfer heat from the heat source to the thermal coupling.

According to another embodiment, a pair of smart glasses is disclosed.The smart glasses can comprise a frame, onboard components, and a heattransfer device. The frame can be configured to hold the one or moreoptical elements and can have a first lateral portion disposed to afirst side of the one or more optical elements and an opposing secondlateral portion disposed to a second side of the one or more opticalelements. The onboard electronic components can be carried by the framewithin the first lateral portion and can comprise a heat source thatgenerates heat during electrically powered operation thereof. The heattransfer device can be carried by the frame and can extend laterallyalong the frame from the first lateral portion of the frame to thesecond lateral portion of the frame. The heat transfer device can bethermally coupled the heat source at the first lateral portion and canbe configured to transfer the heat from the heat source to the secondlateral portion of the frame.

According to another embodiment, a pair of smart glasses is disclosed.The smart glasses can comprise a frame, onboard electronic components, athermal coupling and a heat transfer device. The frame can be configuredto hold the one or more optical elements and can have a first lateralportion disposed to a first side of the one or more optical elements andan opposing second lateral portion disposed to a second side of the oneor more optical elements. The onboard electronic components can becarried by the frame within the first lateral portion and can comprise aheat source that generates heat during electrically powered operationthereof. The thermal coupling can be carried by the frame within thesecond lateral portion. The heat transfer device can be carried by theframe and can extend laterally along the frame from the first lateralportion of the frame to the second lateral portion of the frame. Theheat transfer device can be thermally coupled the heat source at thefirst lateral portion and can be thermally coupled to the thermalcoupling at the second lateral portion. The heat transfer device can beconfigured to transfer the heat from the heat source to the thermalcoupling.

LANGUAGE

Throughout this specification, plural instances may implementcomponents, operations, or structures described as a single instance.Although individual operations of one or more methods are illustratedand described as separate operations, one or more of the individualoperations may be performed concurrently, and nothing requires that theoperations be performed in the order illustrated. Structures andfunctionality presented as separate components in example configurationsmay be implemented as a combined structure or component. Similarly,structures and functionality presented as a single component may beimplemented as separate components. These and other variations,modifications, additions, and improvements fall within the scope of thesubject matter herein.

Although an overview of the inventive subject matter has been describedwith reference to specific example embodiments, various modificationsand changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from thebroader scope of embodiments of the present disclosure. Such embodimentsof the inventive subject matter may be referred to herein, individuallyor collectively, by the term “invention” merely for convenience andwithout intending to voluntarily limit the scope of this application toany single disclosure or inventive concept if more than one is, in fact,disclosed.

The embodiments illustrated herein are described in sufficient detail toenable those skilled in the art to practice the teachings disclosed.Other embodiments may be used and derived therefrom, such thatstructural and logical substitutions and changes may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of this disclosure. The Detailed Description,therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope ofvarious embodiments is defined only by the appended claims, along withthe full range of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

As used herein, the term “or” may be construed in either an inclusive orexclusive sense. Moreover, plural instances may be provided forresources, operations, or structures described herein as a singleinstance. Additionally, boundaries between various resources,operations, modules, engines, and data stores are somewhat arbitrary,and particular operations are illustrated in a context of specificillustrative configurations. Other allocations of functionality areenvisioned and may fall within a scope of various embodiments of thepresent disclosure. In general, structures and functionality presentedas separate resources in the example configurations may be implementedas a combined structure or resource. Similarly, structures andfunctionality presented as a single resource may be implemented asseparate resources. These and other variations, modifications,additions, and improvements fall within a scope of embodiments of thepresent disclosure as represented by the appended claims. Thespecification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in anillustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wearable device comprising: an eyewear bodyconfigured for wearing by a user to hold one or more optical elementsmounted on the eyewear body within a field of view of the user; templesfor supporting the eyewear body when worn by the user; onboardelectronic components carried by one or both of the eyewear body and atleast one of the temples, wherein the onboard electronics componentscomprise a heat source that generates heat during electrically poweredoperation thereof; an elongate heat transfer device thermally coupled tothe heat source to transfer heat away from the heat source to anotherportion of the eyewear body or the at least one of the temples.
 2. Thewearable device of claim 1, wherein the elongate heat transfer device isdisposed within the eyewear body, and wherein the elongate heat transferdevice is configured to transfer heat from the heat source to aninterface with the at least one of the temples.
 3. The wearable deviceof claim 1, wherein the onboard electronic components are carried by theeyewear body and the elongate heat transfer device extendslongitudinally rearward to transfer heat to the at least one of thetemples.
 4. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the elongate heattransfer device extends lengthwise across the eyewear body between theheat source and a second end portion of the eyewear body that extendslongitudinally rearward to interface with a second elongate temple. 5.The wearable device of claim 4, further comprising a first thermalcoupling thermally coupled to the elongate heat transfer device at oneof a first end portion or a second end portion of the eyewear body,wherein the first thermal coupling comprises one or more of a heat sink,a core wire, and a heat pipe.
 6. The wearable device of claim 1, whereinthe elongate heat transfer device comprises a core wire configured toform part of a structural eyewear bodywork for at least part of theeyewear body.
 7. The wearable device of claim 6, further comprising asecond core wire located in at least one of the temples, and wherein thesecond core wire is configured to form a part of a structural eyewearbodywork of the at least one of the temples.
 8. The wearable device ofclaim 7, further comprising a thermal coupling thermally coupled to thesecond core wire and the core wire and configured to transfer heat fromthe core wire of the eyewear body to the second core wire of the atleast one of the temples.
 9. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein theelongate heat transfer device comprises a heat pipe having a wickextending along at least a portion of a lateral length thereof, the heatpipe configured to carry a working fluid that is evaporated to a vaporat a first lateral end portion thereof by the heat from the heat sourceand direct the vapor to a second lateral end portion thereof where thevapor condenses back to the working fluid and is absorbed by the wick.10. A pair of smart glasses, the smart glasses comprising: an eyewearbody configured to hold one or more optical elements, the eyewear bodyhaving a first lateral portion disposed to a first side of the one ormore optical elements and an opposing second lateral portion disposed toa second side of the one or more optical elements; onboard electroniccomponents carried by the eyewear body within the first lateral portionand comprising a heat source that generates heat during electricallypowered operation thereof; a first temple connected to the eyewear bodyat the first lateral portion by a first articulated joint; and anelongate heat transfer device thermally coupled to the heat source totransfer heat away from the heat source to another portion of theeyewear body; wherein at least a portion of the heat transferred by theelongate heat transfer device is passed to the first temple.
 11. Thesmart glasses of claim 10, wherein the elongate heat transfer deviceextends laterally along the eyewear body from the first lateral portionof the eyewear body to a second lateral portion of the eyewear body,wherein the elongate heat transfer device is thermally coupled to theheat source at the first lateral portion and configured to transfer theheat from the heat source to the second lateral portion of the eyewearbody.
 12. The smart glasses of claim 10, further comprising a thermalcoupling that comprises at least a first portion of the firstarticulated joint, the thermal coupling having a second portion thatforms a rearward facing portion of the eyewear body arranged togenerally interface with a forward facing portion of the first templewhen worn by user, wherein the thermal coupling configured to conductthe heat away from the eyewear body across the first articulated jointto the first temple.
 13. The smart glasses of claim 12, wherein thethermal coupling comprises one or more of a heat sink, a core wire, anda heat pipe.
 14. The smart glasses of claim 12, further comprising: asecond temple connected to the eyewear body at the second lateralportion by a second articulated joint; and a second thermal couplingcomprising least a first portion of the second articulated joint, thesecond thermal coupling having a second portion carried by the eyewearbody and arranged to generally interface an end portion of the secondtemple, the second thermal coupling configured to conduct the heat awayfrom the elongate heat transfer device across the second articulatedjoint to the second temple.
 15. The smart glasses of claim 10, whereinthe elongate heat transfer device comprises a core wire configured toform part of a structural eyewear bodywork for at least part of theeyewear body.
 16. The smart glasses of claim 10, wherein the elongateheat transfer device comprises a heat pipe having a wick extending alongat least a portion of a lateral length thereof, the heat pipe configuredto carry a working fluid that is evaporated to a vapor at a firstlateral end portion thereof by the heat from the heat source and directthe vapor to a second lateral end portion thereof where the vaporcondenses back to the working fluid and is absorbed by the wick.
 17. Apair of smart glasses, the smart glasses comprising: an eyewear bodyconfigured to hold one or more optical elements; onboard electroniccomponents carried by the eyewear body and comprising a heat source thatgenerates heat during electrically powered operation thereof; and a heattransfer device configured to transfer the heat from the heat source toa first articulated joint that connects the eyewear body to a firstelongate temple.
 18. The smart glasses of claim 17, further comprising afirst temple connected to the eyewear body at a first lateral portion bythe first articulated joint, wherein the first temple has a core wireconfigured to form part of a structural eyewear bodywork for at leastpart of the first temple, wherein the core wire comprises a heat sinkconfigured to transfer the heat from the heat source.
 19. The smartglasses of claim 18, wherein the heat sink comprises at least a firstportion of the first articulated joint and a portion of the eyewear bodyarranged to generally interface an end portion of the first temple. 20.The smart glasses of claim 19, further comprising: a second templeconnected to the eyewear body by a second articulated joint; and asecond heat sink comprising least a first portion of the secondarticulated joint, the second heat sink having a second portion carriedby the eyewear body and arranged to generally interface an end portionof the second temple, the second heat sink configured to conduct theheat away from the heat transfer device across the second articulatedjoint to the second temple.